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2018 British Woodworking Federation Awards call for entries launched

The call for entries for the 2018 British Woodworking Federation (BWF) Awards has now been launched, giving joinery sector businesses a fantastic opportunity to showcase their finest achievements from the last year.

From hand-carved craftsmanship to high-tech innovations, the Awards give great projects, products and people the recognition they deserve, helping businesses benchmark their progress against the very best of the industry. The closing date for entries for this year’s Awards is 22nd June.

BWF Chief Executive Iain McIlwee began this year’s call for entries: “With wood taking over as the architectural wonder material of this century, the awards are a chance for UK joinery businesses to prove that they can not only build it better with wood, but build it in a way that is more sustainable, more productive, healthier and safer than the rest.

“Have you worked on an amazing wood project or launched an innovative new product? Does your joinery business have any rising stars or Health & Safety heroes within the workforce? Or do you simply think that you can do better than the other businesses out there and want to prove it? We urge all UK woodworking businesses to spare a minute and think about what, or who, they might want to put forward as an entry.”

The winners will be announced at the BWF’s Annual Awards Dinner in November with the shortlist to be revealed in October at the W Exhibition, which is the national show for the joinery and furniture industries. All shortlisted entrants will receive a free place at the dinner and will have their achievements promoted through a high profile marketing and social media campaign.

Entry is free and open to all, including non-members of the BWF so long as they are from the UK joinery and woodworking sector. The deadline for entries is 5pm on Friday 22nd June 2018. Entries for this year’s awards can be submitted at www.bwf.org.uk/choose-wood/awards.

Health & Safety Hero (sponsored by Didac) – acknowledging an individual or collective effort which has made a notable difference to the health and safety practices and culture of a business. The award will be presented in memory of Michael Lee, former membership director at the BWF.

PEFC launches 2018 photo contest to celebrate forests and wildlife

Following on from the successful 2017 competition, PEFC UK and PEFC Ireland have launched the 2018 photographic competition with the theme of Forests, our Home, Workplace and Playground.

The contest - to close on World Environment Day on 5th June - aims to highlight the importance of caring for our forests and why sustainable forest management and certification are such important element of this.

The PEFC is looking for exciting and inspiring images showing how people use the forests for a range of key reasons – from commercial purposes to relaxation as well as examples of how wildlife including birds, animals and insects rely on them for food and shelter.

There are three national cash prizes to be won and the winners will be announced by the end of June. The winning photos will then be entered into an international competition to find a worldwide winner and the chance to win a further special prize.

Entrants are invited to submit their photographs through Instagram using the hashtag #forestplaywork. Further details and terms and conditions can be found at www.pefc.photo

Housebuilders covered with updated TRA roofing guidance

How to Build Compliant Spandrel Panels, which is endorsed by the NHBC, has been updated to include information about single-skin cladding for spandrel panels.

The guide - downloadable here - has a page featuring fermacell Gypsum Fibreboard as an example of how single-skin cladding can replace two sheets of plasterboard either side of a spandrel panel, without compromising fire and acoustic requirements.

Jonathan Fellingham, TRA chairman, said: “The first version of the guide we published last year proved to be very useful to housebuilders.

“We decided to update the guide to add more useful information for housebuilders on single-skin cladding options for spandrels. We take our collaboration with the installers of our products seriously and are committed to offering guidance to increase quality and accuracy wherever possible.”

Throughout the guide there are technical drawings and 3D renders showing safe and compliant installation methods for spandrel panels. Where necessary these have also been updated to show closer detail of bracing, and to demonstrate different ways to restrain spandrel panels.

Further guidance will be published throughout 2018 providing the latest advice on all aspects of the design, manufacture and safe installation of roof components.

The challenges of transport logistics and labor as well as the opportunities offered by the growing Chinese economy were widely discussed during the event by the twenty or so speakers present.

"The wood products industry needs to work on succession planning, job creation, regional work promotion, and continuing education," said Sven Gustavsson, manager, softwoods, at the Quebec Wood Export Bureau (QWEB) co-organizer of the event with the Québec Forest Industry Council, the Maritime Lumber Bureau and the Ontario Forest Industries Association. As for the exhibitors' fair, it had a record attendance for the 110 exhibitors present.

The 2019 edition will take place March 19-22 at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montréal.

Speakers' presentations from the 2018 edition are now freely available (and downloadable) here.

The three parties will work together to promote the use of the Responsible Timber Exchange (RTX) in Indonesia, by including Indonesian responsible timber sellers and buyers in the platform and promoting their products in the international market.

In November 2016, Indonesia became the first country to fully achieve its VPA objectives and be authorized to issue FLEGT licenses. The aim of the initiative is to support the Indonesian timber industry to maintain their engagement with the FLEGT Action Plan and attract more companies to it.

"An essential part of this process is to assist companies in promoting their timber products in international markets, ensuring that the sector is rewarded for their efforts in adopting legality and sustainability standards," explains a note from BVRio.

"BVRio Responsible Timber Exchange utilizes a wide range of e-commerce and digital marketing tools combined with direct engagement with timber traders in the EU, US and China. The RTX platform is already fully accessible in Bahasa Indonesia and provides a registration tutorial for Indonesian users, making it perfectly placed to promote Indonesian responsible timber products in international markets."

LEI will bring a wealth of experience to the partnership, having been very active in promoting sustainability of forest enterprises and community forestry projects in Indonesia for a long time.

Finally, Landscape Indonesia will in charge for providing advisory services on sustainable landscape management financing and development facilities.